2 Sierra Vista women face identity theft, fraud, drug charges

Two Sierra Vista women were arrested Monday on multiple charges in connection to a ring involved in identity theft, forgery, fraud and mail theft, authorities said.

Shannon Huston, 24, and Deanna Russell, 18, were both booked into the Cochise County jail on suspicion of forgery, fraudulent schemes and artifices and possession of dangerous drugs, according to a Sierra Vista Police Department news release.

The women are each being held in lieu of $25,000 bail.

Both women had been under investigation for forging and cashing stolen checks that were taken out of residential mailboxes, police said.

On Monday, detectives observed Huston traveling to a bank where she attempted to deposit a stolen and forged check at at ATM. Detectives confronted and arrested her, authorities said.

Russell was arrested after a search warrant was served on a hotel room both women were staying in. Detectives said they found evidence of identity theft, fraud and forgery, along with methamphetamine.

Detectives also served a search warrant Tuesday at the Highland Woods Apartments and found methamphetamine and evidence of fraud, said authorities.